Psychotronic Video was and is one of my favorite magazines. Created by Michael Weldon I loved the magazine from the very first issue I bought at New England Comics to the final issue ever printed (and all the back issues purchased along the way). Within the pages of this great magazine were reviews of the strangest, sleaziest, gory-ist and weirdest movies, anything and everything from Faster Pussycat Kill Kill to Freaks, from the tamest movies to Valley of the Dolls, articles on Ed Gein (the inspiration for Psycho) and Nosferatu, you name it. I have an almost complete collection (as well as the Pschotronic Encyclopedia) and wish the magazine were still being published. Every issue was read from cover to cover but I also took special note of the fanzines page, reviews of hand-made and self-published magazines distributed to their creators' friends, families and any other glutton for punishment. Sending in my little one dollar bill (and sometimes it only cost a sase) I was treated to the strangest and most wonderful creations with only one "dog" in the bunch. Film Threat (about films), Hungover Gourmet (about food) and Snackbar Confidential (a cut-and-paste stream of thought zine using old ads) were the best of the bunch with Snackbar still being published; I'm unclear about Film Threat and Hungover Gourmet recently went internet only. Two books I recently borrowed from the local library focus on the subject of fanzines and both are pretty good. Zine Scene is a good introduction to the subject and is also a "how-to" for those who wish to self-publish. Factsheet Five Zine Reader is the logical extension of Zine Scene, focusing on selected writings from all kinds of zines. Those who have thought of sampling zines would do well to get both altho my vote is for the latter but then again I have already been a collector. Also Zine Reader is divided into different subjects (music, food, et al) making it easier to find interesting articles. Because these books are overviews of various zines subject matter ranges from the tame to PG-13/R as do some of the graphics.
Some of the zines mentioned in the books have ceased publication or graduated to the internet. As mentioned above Hungover Gourmet has become internet-only (e-zine) and I am unsure of the publishing schedule for Snackbar Confidential altho Lance Laurie (the publisher/creator) has a blogspot, which if you look at the big picture would lead one to assume the blog is a fanzine or e-zine itself. Fanzines are always published on an erratic schedule (Film Threat and Snackbar are published when the creator has time)
If you are interested Zine Reader includes addresses and/or URLs in the appendix. Warning: Altho these are great over-views to the subject the books are outdated with Reader being published in 1997. I will be checking some of these addresses in the coming weeks and publish my findings.
Meanwhile I am still following these blogs and sites:
the fabulous fifties http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/
monster magazine world http://monstermagazineworld.blogspot.com/
snackbar confidential http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/
roadside online http://www.roadsideonline.com/
roadside america http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
for more information on Psychotronic Video magazine:
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